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NSF Biology and Chemistry Scholarships

Written by Evergreen Communications Office on March 8, 2011 at 9:00 am

New National Science Foundation Scholarships to Expand Opportunities for Interdisciplinary Studies in Lab-based Biology and Chemistry at Evergreen

The National Science Foundation recently awarded The Evergreen State College a S-STEM grant of almost $600,000 for scholarships and services to improve student retention and success in laboratory-based biology and chemistry. The project also seeks to increase the enrollment of groups typically underrepresented in the sciences. Average scholarship awards will be $6,750 annually per student.

The grant, under the direction of Dr. Paula Schofield and Dr. Andrew Brabban, will award up to 20 annual scholarships to financially-needy and academically talented undergraduates studying lab-based biology and/or chemistry, at Evergreen. These scholarships are renewable. Awardees who remain in good standing academically will be funded for up to four years of study at Evergreen.

The grant program aims to foster student success with a strong, supportive learning community, regular seminars on career and graduate school opportunities, undergraduate research, industry internships, and partnerships with research universities. Biology and chemistry faculty will work closely with student support staff--especially in career development--to increase scholarship recipients' chances for success.

The program also seeks to increase bachelor's degree completion of biology and chemistry students and motivate more graduates to pursue advanced studies in these fields.

According to Schofield this opportunity not only removes a significant financial burden from students, but also serves to bridge the gap between undergraduate study and a future career, under focused faculty mentorship.